Ankara, Sept 1, 2020: Turkey has hailed Pope Francis’ call for dialogue in the Eastern Mediterranean and for conflicting sides in the region to act in line with international law.
Fahrettin Altun, the head of Turkey’s Communications Directorate, on Twitter on September 1 “welcomed” Pope Francis’ words, adding: “Turkey calls on Greece, among others, to respect international law, instead of militarizing the Aegean islands and laying claim to our Blue Homeland.”
“The Mediterranean should be a sea of peace and stability.”
A day earlier, Pope Francis said in a statement on social media: “I follow with concern the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean area and I appeal for constructive dialogue and respect for international law to resolve the conflicts that threaten the peace of the peoples of that region.”
Greece has disputed Turkey’s current energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean, trying to box in Turkish maritime territory based on small islands near the Turkish coast.
Turkey – the country with the longest coastline on the Mediterranean – has sent out drilling ships to explore for energy on its continental shelf, saying that both Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus have rights in the region.
Turkey signed a maritime border agreement with Libya’s governmenf of National Accord on November 27, 2019. Greece and Egypt signed a similar agreement on August 7.
On July 28, Turkey announced after Germany’s diplomatic efforts that it suspended hydrocarbon exploration activities, in the Eastern Mediterranean, which had been underway since early 2019, and stated that it was ready to talk with Greece.
On August 6, Greece and Egypt signed a maritime border agreement.
On August 10, Turkey announced that its drillship Oruç Reis would resume energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean. It said the ship will continue its work along with the ships Cengiz Han and Ataman until August 23.
On August 14, the EU foreign ministers discussed the crisis at an extraordinary meeting, calling on Turkey to end hydrocarbon exploration activities in contested waters.
On August 16, Turkey issued a Navtex, announcing that its drill ship Yavuz will continue its work exploring for energy resources off the island of Cyprus.
On August 23, Turkey issued another Navtex, stating that the Oruç Reis vessel would continue its activities until August 27.
On August 24, Greece held joint naval drills with the US in the south of Crete island. One day later, Turkey conducted naval exercises with Italy.
On August 25, Germany’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas visited Athens and Ankara to encourage the two countries to have direct talks. On the same day, Turkey held replenishment exercises with Italy in the Eastern Mediterranean.
On August 26, US President Donald Trump had phone talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis, urging them to reduce tensions and start dialogue. On the same day, Turkey and the US conducted joint maritime exercises.
On August 27 and 28, EU foreign ministers met with the Eastern Mediterranean crisis on the top of their agenda. The Union’s foreign policy head Josep Borrell said after the meeting that Turkey’s ships might be sanctioned if they continued hydrocarbon activities.
Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense on August 28 announced that it intercepted six F-16 fighters planes of Greece, which it said were closing in on the area where Turkey issued a Navtex.
Source: aa.com.tr
Turkey deserves not to be taken seriously on its comment as regards the Pope’s call for a dialogue. Au contraire, Turkey ought to hang its head in shame at its dastardly act of converting no less than two of its churches into mosques, How God can be praised and worshiped in a place illicitly converted into a mosque is beyond one’s imagination! So what dialogue are they talking about?
It has long been predicted that the next wars will be fought over oil and water. There is no substitute for sitting across the table to resolve conflicts.